A groundbreaking wildlife series coming to the BBC will showcase the Americas as you've never seen them before.
After a US release earlier this year, The Americas is now being released in the UK. And as this vast supercontinent has the tallest trees, the longest continental mountain range, and the biggest rainforest, it's sure to be on an epic scale.
We take a look at when it's on TV, what it's about and the Hollywood actor on narration duties.
When is The Americas on TV?
The Americas starts on Sunday 2 March on BBC One at 18:45. Episodes will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer. This comes after its US release on NBC.
What is The Americas about?
Produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit (creators of Asia, Frozen Planet II and Springwatch) in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, The Americas is a 10-part series about the extraordinary wildlife found in iconic habitats across the Americas. Witness extraordinary, untold stories in locations such as the Amazon, the Caribbean and the west coast. From critically endangered sand tiger sharks hunting around an old shipwreck to the bear that inspired Paddington, it features plenty of never-seen-before-behaviour.
Who narrates The Americas?
Hollywood actor Tom Hanks narrates The Americas. Speaking to BBC Wildlife magazine, co-executive producer Holly Spearing says "We’d talked about Tom Hanks early on – after all, what better way to explore the Americas than in his company? He has an extraordinary voice, one you could listen to all day.
"We have life-and-death drama as well as warmth and humour, and Tom brings it all to life with ease. He was incredibly interested in finding out more about the species, the locations and how we’d got our shots, and exceeded every expectation we had."
What locations and animals feature in The Americas?
The Americas showcases a look at a huge variety of environments across north and south America, from dry and dusty deserts to wet and wonderful rainforests. It features incredible animals such as orcas, bald eagles, coyotes, sea wolves, ocelots and manatees.
The Atlantic Coast - In the first episode, we head to locations such as the Appalachian forests, Chesapeake Bay, the Graveyard of the Atlantic – even New York City. Witness rare footage of bald eagles chasing ospreys mid-air, foraging young black bears and stunning fireflies.
Mexico - Watch orcas use complex strategies to hunt dolphins in the Sea of Cortez, revel in the drama of blue-footed boobies as they fight to keep the attention of wandering mates, and see orchid bees up close in extraordinary detail.
The Wild West - While the 'wild west' conjures up images of cowboys, it's a tough environment for wildlife. In Yellowstone, we see how coyotes use skill and geothermal heat to survive the cold winters, and how honeypot ants survive extreme heat in the Arizonian desert. Bison moving across The Great Plains and majestic wild horses also feature.
The Amazon - Extraordinary animal behaviours are revealed in this episode. In southern Brazil, over a million turtle hatchlings make a dangerous dash to the river as black caiman prey on them. While in Venezuela, a young harpy eagle must endure intense storms while waiting for its father’s return with food – while balanced precariously high up in the canopy.
The Frozen North - Wolves and bears clash over carcasses in Hudson Bay. Off Alaska’s coast, male walruses 'sing' together beneath a summer sunset. And millions of salmon begin their journey upstream, while newborn caribou navigate dangerous river crossings on their first migration.
The Gulf Coast - Manatees gather in Florida's Crystal River and young males practise courtship in a rarely-filmed behaviour known as 'cavorting'. In the Texan thornscrub, rare footage shows a female ocelot (one of the last remaining in the United States) raising her kittens.
The Andes - Flamingos perform mating dances on crimson lakes, and the Atacama Desert experiences a rare bloom. In Ecuador, a mother bear and her cubs have to navigate a climb down a dangerous rock face for the first time, a journey never captured on drone before.
The Caribbean - A family of sperm whales hunt squid off the coast of Dominica: a world-first look at their communal dives and unique hunting behaviour. On Cuba's Zapata Peninsula, millions of red land crabs undertake a massive migration to reach the sea. And in Panama’s remote Isla Jicaron, capuchin monkeys use stone tools to crack nuts.
The West Coast - Male blue whales race and roll at high speed off the coast of California: likely to try and attract a mate. In Monterey Bay, bold sea otters navigate powerful waves to reach mussels. Closer to shore, sea wolves hunt along the beaches in their adaptation to both land and sea.
Patagonia - In the icy waters off Argentina, rockhopper penguins risk their lives against crashing waves and sea lions so they can feed their chicks. Off the coast of Argentina, a matriarch orca teaches her young the art of beaching to catch seals. Meanwhile on land, elephant seals clash for dominance, and a mother puma hunts through the snow in Chile's Torres del Paine.
Main image: Puma in episode 1 of The Americas / BBC Studios/NBC/Nick Garbutt
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